Wasatch Watershed: Snowflakes to Your Tap

by slcgreen on September 10, 2013

60% of the water used by residents of Salt Lake City and the Valley’s east bench comes from canyons in the Wasatch Mountains. The Utah Chapter of the Green Building Council is hosting what promises to be a fascinating exploration into the successes and challenges of protecting Salt Lake City’s water.

In the 1950’s, access to City Creek Canyon, a source of Salt Lake City’s drinking water, was closed to public use for over 10 years due to bacterial contamination, public health concerns and damage to the City Creek Watershed. Lessons learned from this event and the ensuing restoration of City Creek Canyon, as well as other water sources across the nation have informed Salt Lake City’s watershed protection policies for the last several decades.

Join Laura Briefer, Water Resources Manager, for the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities to learn about Salt Lake City’s role, perspectives, successes, and challenges in protecting the main sources of Salt Lake City’s water supplies in the Central Wasatch Mountains – including recent scientific research and other work regarding climate change impacts on Salt Lake City’s water supply.

The Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) is a municipal water supplier responsible for the provision of drinking water to over 300,000 people in the Salt Lake Valley. Laura manages SLCDPU’s Water Resources Division, which includes watershed management, water conservation, hydrology, water rights, and land preservation functions.